How did I miss this? Specifically, "New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions," mentioned in the post immediately below. "DWS" prolly has sumthin' to do with employment statistics, job opportunities, and the like but one cannot rightly tell from the pompous title. I was thinkin' any organization with a title like "Workforce Solutions" just had to be ate up with the dumb-ass. And I was right. Witness:
The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions is a World-Class, market-driven workforce delivery system that prepares New Mexico job seekers to meet current and emerging needs of New Mexico businesses; and ensures that every New Mexico citizen who needs a job will have one; and every business who needs an employee will find one with the necessary skills and work readiness to allow New Mexico businesses to compete in a global economy.
That's their "vision statement," and they also have a mission statement, of course:
Enhance productivity and competitiveness of New Mexico business and industry by improving the quality and availability of the New Mexico workforce. We will accomplish this through a system that offers universal access to lifelong learning based on relevant local and regional labor market needs, via integrated, customer-focused accountable service partnerships.
We ALL know any gub'mint org and most Fortune 500 companies need vision and mission statements chock-a-bloc with the latest and greatest in biz-school buzz words. It's just too damned bad those things don't SAY or MEAN any-gotdamned-thing. I can recall MANY painful hours working in ad hoc task forces chartered to develop such "statements" from my days with Ross Perot's Excellent Data Company... AFTER Mr. Perot left, of course. We've gone on about this sorta thang before, specifically where my Beloved Air Force is concerned. Here's an excerpt from one such rant:
There's nothing like the bureaucratic hive mind when it comes to developing and institutionalizing inanity. Speaking of bureaucracy...
The chief master sergeant of the Air Force, the director of Air Force Public Affairs, the Air Force director of force management policy, and the commander of Air Force Recruiting Service provided the leadership oversight for the motto team research experts.
In early 2010, the motto team engaged in almost nine months of hands-on research that began with extensive face-to-face meetings with nearly 300 total force Airmen from all job specialties and in every major command. Airmen described to the team what they thought it means to be an Airman, to serve and what is unique about the Air Force.[...]An Air Force-wide survey to validate and quantify input from discussions indicated Airmen have a shared pride in their abilities to adapt to meet any threat, and they feel empowered to bring innovation and excellence to the mission of national defense.
After understanding the shared identity, the motto team began transforming words and concepts into a unifying, enduring and credible motto, said Lt. Col. Clark Groves, Ph.D., the lead scientist for the project.WTF? Doesn't that just REEK of Harvard Bid'niz Review? But leave us not not belabor the obvious. Color me old fashioned, call me a fuddy-duddy, or just assume I'm not fully caffeinated at this hour but taking senior leadership's eyes (if PA and such can be called that) off the operational ball for "nine months of hands-on research," not to mention eating the time... however small it might have been... of "nearly 300 total-force airmen" to develop a frickin' motto tells me the kids ain't all right.
You'd think the enlisted guys (that's in reference to credit given to the CMSAF) would have more sense but you'd be wrong, Gentle Reader. There's more at the link, if'n you're interested.
Oh my oh hell yes. Bein the same age and all, we went through that crap when it started up in the early '90s. The worst part is that it was a bastardization of the work of W. Edwards Deming, a statistician who was sent to Japan after WWII to get their manufacturing segment back in gear - with the observable results.
ReplyDeleteThe idiots who created "Quality" programs in the U.S. naturally consisted of MBAs who immediately missed the damn point and spewed out volumes of verbiage - with the observable results.
Wanna motto? I got your fuckin motto right here:
Lead, Follow, Or Get Outta My Way.
Buck, ANY organization, institution or City, etc., which officially goes to the trouble to call itself "World-Class," by definition alone, ISN'T.
ReplyDeleteJust to point out the obvious, Obama does this same type of stuff. He thinks, or seems to, that just by uttering words it makes it so.
ReplyDeleteMagic wordy thingy... panti... I'm thinking it would have gone better with the above post of that older flower child.
The idiots who created "Quality" programs in the U.S. naturally consisted of MBAs who immediately missed the damn point and spewed out volumes of verbiage - with the observable results.
ReplyDeleteYou're talkin' about my former division president, Rob. He of the MBA AND a subscription to the HBR. We always dreaded seein' a new issue of that fuckin' rag in his office, knowing full well the newest, latest, and greatest mind fart written about therein would soon be comin' right at us...
Virgil: TOO damned true.
Anon: Yup. The One sure likes to speechify a lot, but it's not backed up with much, if any, results.
MBA-speak, HR-speak. I used to dread grading project papers in my graduate class. Zounds. If I'd played a buzz-word drinking game while grading, I'd still be drunk, and I haven't taught since 2001.
ReplyDeleteSadly, the chief enlisted of the most technical services in the world, has never had an engineering degree.
ReplyDeleteMost have a management degree, which is supposed to help than manage (not lead) a jar of beans.
Bean counters we used to call them.
I got a motto for you: get to work shitbird.
If I'd played a buzz-word drinking game while grading, I'd still be drunk, and I haven't taught since 2001.
ReplyDeleteHeh. One hopes you brought a modicum of sanity to your students, Moogie.
Anon: Enlisteds with engineering degrees are pretty damned rare, in ANY service. I never knew of one in my 22 years. The second thing ya do is cross over to the dark side if you get any sort of engineering degree as an enlisted type. It's the money...